Chris Marr is a State Senator from Spokane, Washington

Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...

 representing Washington's 6th legislative district in the Washington State Legislature

Washington State Legislature

The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...

in Olympia. He was defeated in the November, 2010 general election after one term in office. His term ends in January, 2011.

Marr was elected to a four year term in November 2006, and was the first Democrat elected to the state Senate from the 6th district since 1940.

Biography

Following management positions at Ford Motor Company and McDonald's Corporation, Marr spent twenty years as managing partner of the Foothills Auto Group, which operates automotive dealerships in the Spokane area, before his election to the State Senate in 2006. Marr also served on the Board of Regents of Washington State University and the Board of Governors of the W.S.U. Foundation. He formerly chaired the board of Empire Health Services and Inland Northwest Health Services as well as the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Washington State Transportation Commission. Marr has been married for 30 years to his wife, Christine, and they have two grown children.

Controversy

In January 2006, Dawn Fowler settled with her former employer, Spokane Lincoln-Mercury, for an undisclosed amount. Fowler alleged that management at Spokane-Lincoln Mercury ignored her complaints of sexual harassment for years. Fowler was employed by Spokane Lincoln-Mercury from 1997 to April 2005. During the time of the alleged incidents of harassment, Chris Marr was part owner and vice-president and then later, president, of Spokane Lincoln-Mercury. In an October 26, 2008 article published by The Spokesman-Review, Marr categorically denied the allegation that upper management ignored Dawn Fowler’s complaints and questioned the timing of the story. In the same article, Marr said that a “toxic relationship” between Fowler and one of the defendant’s families may have partially instigated the lawsuit. Most of Fowler’s allegations identified a specific employee as the primary offender. Marr stated that he and fellow owner Ray Kish reached a decision to settle because this employee was suffering from cancer and they wished to spare him from the burden of depositions and arbitration.

Senate Term 2007-2010

Marr was vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and was also the democratic Assistant Floor Leader. He also sat on the Health & Long-Term Care Committee and the Human Services & Corrections Committee.

Awards and honors

Marr is a recipient of the 2008 Fuse "Sizzle" Award, for "outstanding leadership on bills that will reduce Washington’s global warming pollution." The award honors his leadership in general and his sponsorship of the Local Solutions to Global Warming bill in particular.

In 2009, Marr became the recipient of a Fuse "Fizzle" Award, for voting against environmental reform and critical protections.